LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 88
Chapter 88
Regardless of the representatives’ reactions, the broadcast proceeded smoothly.
Before the trainees performed on stage, the process of preparing for the final competition was shown as usual. The frequent commercials were a bonus.
First, the ‘Kick-off’ team, dressed in soccer uniform-style outfits, presented a stage that gave off a World Cup opening ceremony vibe, heating up the atmosphere at the venue.
Next was the turn of the ‘Infinity’ team. With stage masters Seo Moon-gyeol and Seo Chan-bin in one team, their high-quality performance stood out.
At least at the venue.
– Hey, this camera is killing the vibe~
– Why even bother with rehearsals if you’re going to do it like this live?
– I don’t understand why they keep filming the second-floor audience.
Amidst the grumbling, the preparation process for the ‘Party Night’ team’s performance was broadcasted.
After showing the preparation process, mainly led by Oh Hyun-jin and Ha Seo-joon’s producing, the lights dimmed, and the dark venue suddenly brightened.
The representatives cheered when they saw the ‘Party Night’ team standing in a line on stage.
Since it was the final stage, the ‘Party Night’ team trainees had specially prepared outfits matching the party concept from their respective companies.
Of course, On Raon, having no agency, wore the outfit provided by the production team.
On Raon’s outfit was an all-white suit, with nothing special except for the small, glittering cubic stones embedded in the lapel of the jacket.
Even that had many missing stones since it was just cleaned once after someone else had worn it before.
But did it matter?
On Raon had regained his charm and could confidently claim his fashion philosophy that “the completion of fashion is the face.”
– Holy…
– Wow…..
– Whoever thought of putting On Raon in a white suit deserves a bonus… It’s almost spiritual.
– Does anyone else feel like the camera and lights are constantly on On Raon?
┗ I think your eyes are just drawn to him. The lights are like a halo.
┗ Oh, that makes sense…
– Are there direct cams of the live stage coming out later? It’s too precious to waste on this terrible camera workㅠㅜㅜㅜㅜ
┗ 222 Please say yes, pleaseㅜㅜ
┗ Pick Heart usually doesn’t release separate live stage videos..
┗ Damn, In-soo… Instead of this weird stuff, post these to get views.
– Now all we can trust are the fansites^^..
Indeed, the On Raon fansites at the venue were pressing the shutter with determination.
A few fansites of other trainees also risked getting caught by security to take out their cameras and capture the boy shining white under the lights.
– People who made eye contact with On at the venue all fainted standing up.
┗ This is true. Even a glance makes it hard to breathe.
– We need to change On Raon’s nickname to “Breath-taking Beauty”
– I’m not even an On Raon fan, but I couldn’t see anyone else.
┗ For real
Eventually, after all the performances ended and some mentors’ comments were given, a new video started playing.
[Production Crew: When was the hardest time for you?]
[Seo Chan-bin: I debuted, but… I didn’t know if the next album would come out.]
[Kim Jun-woo: The most daunting thing was not knowing how long I would have to live as a trainee.]
Short stories of the trainees’ struggles were shared.
Whenever a touching and sad story was told, the venue and the internet were awash with tears.
In the meantime, there was no segment for Ban Yo-han and Seo Moon-gyeol.
Whether these two extraordinary individuals had anything they considered truly challenging, whether they mentioned it and it was edited out, or if they said nothing at all, only they and the production team knew.
[On Raon: I thought I might not be able to dance again.]
On Raon, unlike the other trainees who wore the short-sleeve training clothes provided by Pick Heart, was in his winter casual clothes.
His video, which looked like it was taken from CCTV footage rather than the clear front-facing shots of other trainees, suggested a time difference from the previous interviews.
The following was the very dance practice video mentioned in the controversial post.
[Production Crew: You used to dance so well. What made you think you might not be able to dance again?]
– ?????
– What are they talking about
– Are they just trying to make a poor excuse since they got caught lying?
On Raon asked if he could speak in English, and after getting permission, he calmly explained the situation.
[On Raon: Should I call it a slump… I don’t remember exactly when it started. One day, my body just wouldn’t listen, and that’s when I realized something was wrong. When I couldn’t even do the basic routines I’d repeated for months, I didn’t know what to do.]
On Raon shared his experience with a calm demeanor, as if not seeking empathy, sympathy, or help.
PD Jo In-soo barely edited the recorded interview, so On Raon’s video played for quite a long time.
The part about being bullied by True trainees and receiving psychiatric treatment was omitted, but it was clear enough to show how difficult it was for him when he left the company.
[Production Crew: Despite such hardships, what made you decide to appear on Pick Your Heart Season 3?]
[On Raon: For the sake of my future. If I give up now, tomorrow will be the same as today.]
In fact, after quite some time had passed since he left True and his condition had somewhat improved, On Raon had already had several contacts with the system on this day.
He had also vaguely sensed that he would eventually leave someday.
On Raon, like On Hae-jae, was not originally the type to openly acknowledge and talk about his weaknesses.
Nevertheless, he accepted the Dimension Management Bureau’s advice, thinking it might help On Hae-jae, whose body would later switch with his, and gave an interview as if he were testifying.
At the time, On Raon was too exhausted to completely reject the whispers of a peculiar existence.
The Dimension Management Bureau’s prediction was correct, but unfortunately, even that transcendent organization failed to foresee that On Raon would continue to endure despite everything.
[※ This interview was conducted last January with prior notice that it would not be included in the broadcast. However, the production team obtained re-consent from the participant after confirming indiscriminate controversies regarding the participant, and thus it is now being broadcast.]
Including the final subtitle, which made a clear statement like a judge’s not guilty verdict, the incredibly favorable editing stemmed from PD Jo In-soo’s petty pride.
PD Jo In-soo felt he had cleared the debt owed to On Raon for generating buzz with the second competition stage.
Moreover, this was a card that guaranteed viewership ratings.
‘Luckily, I had installed observation cameras back then, just in case.’
With the conclusion of On Raon’s video, it was time for commercials.
On Raon’s words in the video, which strangely evoked pity, had a powerful impact on both fans and the general public, turning the venue and the internet into a sea of tears long before.
– I can’t stop crying right nowㅠㅠㅠ How hard must it have been for himㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
– They air this five minutes before voting ends??? In-soo, are you even human????
– Oh, I voted for another trainee because my younger sibling asked me toㅠㅠ Can’t I change my vote if I’ve already voted once? I want to vote for Raonㅠㅠㅠㅠㅜ
Of course, this warm response was possible because, by this time, the souls of On Raon and On Hae-jae had switched.
Even Lee Do-yeop, a former True public trainee who is now a high school influencer on social media, posted about it after watching the broadcast.
[Spent my late teens in the basement. Debuting there was a vague notion, and I, unable to endure the wait that seemed indefinite, shamefully gave up on being a trainee. I don’t regret quitting because I am satisfied with my current life.
Evaluations were daily, and punishment was routine. Friends were always taking meds for dieting or depression. Even a talented junior who danced better than seniors who had trained for years struggled a lot. Really, a lot.
At the time, I thought, ‘Ah, he’ll quit soon too,’ but I was wrong. We didn’t talk much, but as a former fellow trainee, I hope he realizes his dream. #PickHeart3 #OnRaon #Debut]
Although he was not a direct perpetrator of the bullying that occurred in the basement, Lee Do-yeop was not entirely innocent either. His post was more an attempt to gain attention than an act of goodwill.
Had he truly wanted to help, he would have posted it on the night the controversy broke out.
But what does it matter?
Fans shared the post across multiple sites while crying. Within minutes, it spread to other social media platforms and personal chat rooms repeatedly.
Anticipating such a situation, the commercial break seemed unusually long.
However, viewers were too busy looking up the hot topic to complain.
[(Video) The child who started to deteriorate at some point.. It was as if a well-polished gemstone suddenly broke.. (abridged) Sorry for not fully understanding your struggles back then, but let’s walk the path of flowers from now on. #OnRaon #Debut]
A dance trainer who had previously recognized On Raon’s talent also posted a brief note on social media after watching the broadcast.
When the show resumed, a VCR played to buy time for the tallying of votes.
By then, the general public, excluding the trolls who refused to listen no matter what, had clearly shifted their support to On Raon.
– Did the person who posted the malicious comment get scared? They deleted itㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ You bastard, continue living like that until we meet in court.
– Isn’t there something wrong with True? Is it normal to neglect a 17-year-old until he ends up like this? And then they just kick him out without any measures? Am I the only one who finds this strange????
┗ True is notorious among fans for having intense infighting among trainees and a terrible system before and after debut.
– If the production team knew he was in that condition, shouldn’t they have sent him to a hospital instead of making him compete in a survival show? It’s not like the slump just happened, and at this level, it’s not surprising if he was severely depressed.
– Didn’t they film this in a hurry to quell the controversy? Where are the people who were gleefully bashing a minor with no means to defend himself?
– Was he really that struggling, but could still smile and chat on the show? I think this is just image-making.
┗ Gross
┗ Don’t speak carelessly about someone else’s pain if you can’t empathize.
To briefly explain On Raon’s newly established image among the public:
He was now seen as the “charming trainee who grew positively and brightly throughout Pick Heart’s filming without showing any signs of his struggles.”
It was an overly dramatic setup, as excessive as a terminal sub-lead in a sad-ending internet novel, but what could be done when it was true?
As the controversy turned from a simple growth story to a more dramatic and touching narrative, the issue of his nationality, which was tied to the controversy, was also resolved as a bonus.